The Biden administration Monday laid out more details of its fiscal year 2024 budget proposal, which includes $842 billion for the Department of Defense, about 3% higher than the current fiscal year budget.
“One of the big themes of this budget is continuity,” DOD Comptroller Michael McCord said Monday at a press briefing. “This is our third budget of this administration. It’s based on the same National Defense Strategy we submitted 11 months ago, so there’s no big surprises in here…. Everything we cared about and funded in last year’s budget, which was released contemporaneously with the NDS, is funded and we care about still in this budget.”
The budget includes a 5.2% pay raise for service members and civilian DOD workers. It has the largest-ever request for procurement, partly to replenish weapons and munitions being sent to Ukraine, and the largest-ever request for research and development, largely to counter China.
The budget calls for an increase in troop levels, but as Military Times reported, DOD officials acknowledge the recruitment challenges they’re likely to continue facing.
The budget does not include aid for Ukraine, which officials said they will continue to seek through emergency funding, as Defense News reported.
Defense One has a rundown of what each service is asking for.
Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Stephane Belcher
